So I went back to the produce section to obtain the correct green leaves. I asked a bystander if she knew which one was kale, since they were obviously mislabeled. She looked around and told me that they must be out of kale because it wasn’t there. When I asked her what it looks like, she said that kale is crinkly and dark green, and that they use it as a garnish on serving plates sometimes. I smiled sweetly and thought to myself, No, that’s parsley. You’re an idiot. I’m including a story I told about trying to find kale at the grocery store and failing miserably (I was 24 and knew a lot less things back then; I would say that it’s because the kale revolution hadn’t really taken hold yet, but the truth is that I was just even more of a charlatan back then than I am now.) Here’s a much younger Karen: Sometimes I think schools should be required to teach a course on American produce items. It would have been more useful for me than, say, Algebra 2 was. (I thought turnips were purple and bulbous. Am I basing this entirely on a magnet that my mom had on her fridge for years that depicted a fat little purple guy saying, Turnip your nose at fat! Yes.) Looking back, this is extremely harsh because obviously I have issues when it comes to identifying produce. And I really had to repent when last night at Eric’s work Christmas party, I saw, garnishing the carrots and cherry tomatoes on the vegetable tray, you got it: kale. Well, vegetable confusion and judgments aside, I think this might be the best soup I have ever eaten. It’s a knock off of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana. You’ve had it, right?? Here’s an original photo from when I posted this back in 2011: So basically it’s sausage and potatoes drenched in perfectly seasoned cream, with a little green kale to make you feel good about yourself. This fact, however, could not convince my 5-year-old niece to eat it. We told her, This is pretty much like eating melted ice cream. You do like ice cream, don’t you? She wasn’t buying it. I’m not complaining. More leftovers for me. Start with some onions, garlic, and Italian sausage. I like to use mild sausage and adjust the heat with red pepper flakes, but feel free to use hot sausage (or do a combo of both.) Here’s how I drain my sausage: line a bowl with foil, tilt the pot to the side, and use a ladle to spoon out the grease. Use a food processor to slice all the potatoes, they cut it to the perfect size. You can just use a knife if you don’t have one. No need to peel, those skins add great texture! Add it to the pot after the broth and cook til tender. Chop or tear your kale into bite size pieces. Make sure you cut out all the thick ribbing, nobody wants to chew through a thick stem. Use 1 big bunch of kale, or about 5 cups. You’re going to feel so trendy and healthy adding all these magical superpower greens to your soup. Be sure to use your “Kale yeah!” tote bag today. Except then you cancel out the kale magic by adding a pint of cream. No regrets. Yolo people.
How long does Zuppa Toscana last in the fridge?
Store Zuppa Toscana in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in a ziplock or in a tupperware. You can try freezing it in individual portions for easy reheating! It warms beautifully in the microwave or on the stove on medium heat once it’s been defrosted in a microwave or in the fridge overnight. Oh dear. I’m pretty sure that purple thing is a pillow case?? Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
